Jackie's Take: What's on My Mind in Women's Wellness ✍️ 🤔 📰 

Take the Girls Trip—But Make It Wellness

Last weekend, I went on a girls trip to my family’s house on the North Fork of Long Island. Nothing fancy—just me and three of my best friends, all of us now deep in the trenches of perimenopause, parenting, and real life. We’ve known each other for decades—some since college, some since our kids were toddlers. And while we used to crash at each other’s apartments post-bar crawl, this trip was different.

We were still drinking wine, still laughing until midnight—but this time, it felt like wellness. Not the kind you see on Instagram. Not infrared saunas, not tonics with 14 adaptogens. This was chicken-soup-for-the-soul, female-longevity, nervous-system-reset wellness. And I want more of it.

🧊 Cold Plunge, Salt Water Edition

We kicked things off by jumping straight into the Sound. No fancy ice barrel, just the North Fork’s chilly June water, wind-whipped and salty. We shrieked, we dared each other, we stayed in longer than we expected.

Cold water immersion has been shown to reduce inflammation, support circulation, and trigger a norepinephrine surge that boosts focus and mood. But more than that, the shared bravery and post-plunge high lingered long after our towels dried.

🍷 Local Wine, Zero Guilt

On the drive in, we stopped at Croteaux, the country’s only rosé-only winery, and each treated ourselves to a flight. We sat outside next to the vines, caught up on the drama that is inevitable when a mom attempts to extricate herself for the weekend, and eased into vacation mode.

Small-batch wines often have fewer additives and lower sulfite levels than mass-produced ones, which may contribute to better tolerance (and fewer next-day regrets). But what mattered most was the pause. The exhale. The presence.

🛌 Pajama Mornings + Scrambled Eggs

We slept in until 9, shuffled into the kitchen (no bras required), and made breakfast—soft scrambled eggs, fresh strawberries, and hot coffee. In our 20s, we would’ve gone out to brunch. This was better.

Slow mornings and shared meals regulate cortisol and support metabolic and hormonal health. Plus, pajamas are the new power suit.

💍 The Joy of the Just-Because Buy

At a little shop downtown, we each bought something we didn’t need: a vintage ring, a diffuser that smelled like “relaxation but expensive.” It wasn’t about stuff—it was about joy.

Midlife women are conditioned to be practical. But research tells us that moments of beauty and novelty can increase dopamine and support emotional well-being. Call it self-investment.

🖼 House Tour + Dopamine Decor

The Shelter Island House Tour was our original excuse for the trip—and it delivered. We wandered through sun-drenched rooms filled with linen sofas, wallpapered ceilings, vintage light fixtures, and local art. Within minutes, we were texting each other dupes from CB2, Etsy, and, of course, whatever Instagram had already targeted us with.

Turns out, admiring beauty and curated spaces isn’t just a hobby—it activates the brain’s reward system and can actually soothe the nervous system. Bonus: crowdsourcing design links with your girlfriends is peak efficiency and serotonin.

😂 Rain, Ingenuity, and the Gift of Not Caring

When it rained during the house tour, we didn’t have umbrellas—so I turned our blue plastic shoe covers into shower caps. We looked ridiculous. And we couldn’t have cared less.

Laughter, playfulness, and social connection trigger oxytocin and reduce stress hormones. Not to mention the sheer delight of being complimented by strangers on your “bold” fashion choice.

🥕 The Group Chat Grocery Follow-Up

We stocked up at Sang Lee Farms, an organic farmstand—heads of lettuce, heirloom carrots, fancy dips—and for the next few days, texted each other what we cooked.

Turns out, eating nutrient-dense food you’re excited about supports not just your microbiome, but your mood.

🦪 Oysters, Appetizers, and Stretchy Pants

We ate oysters and lobster rolls, ordered every appetizer, licked our plates, and came home to stretchy sweats and laughter until midnight. No shame, no sugar detoxes. Just joy.

Yes, we all know Aperol and butter in excess isn’t part of any clinical protocol. But joy, indulgence, and connection absolutely are. And sometimes, that extra spritz with friends is the conduit to all three.

The Takeaway

I came home from that weekend feeling better than any supplement stack or spa day has ever made me feel. Not optimized—just grounded. Nourished. Connected.

This is the version of wellness I want us ALL to see more of: not biohacked or branded, but built on friendship, laughter, good food, shared beauty, and staying soft in a world that tells us to harden.

If you’re craving a reset, you don’t need a blood test or a silent retreat. You might just need a girls trip—with thrifted sunglasses, spontaneous shower caps, and friends who won’t forget to text you that roasted carrot recipe on Tuesday.

With you,
Jackie

P.S. Thinking about a North Fork getaway? Reply to this email or drop a comment—I’m always happy to share my favorite spots. 🧄🍷🌊

The Tea: What's Trending in Women's Wellness & Culture 🍵 📰 

🤖💗 From Screening to Strategy: A Big Win for Breast Cancer Prevention

AI headlines have been moving at whiplash speed—but this one stopped me in my tracks (in a good way). The FDA just cleared Clairity Breast, the first AI tool that can predict a woman’s 5-year breast cancer risk from a standard mammogram—even if it looks “normal” to the human eye.

This is a major step toward more personalized, equitable screening—especially for women without a family history or who fall outside traditional risk models. It won’t replace clinical judgment, but it could help more women (especially in their 40s) get the right care at the right time. 💝 (Breast Cancer Research Foundation)

⏰🧠 How the Menstrual Cycle Affects Your ADHD

Hint: It’s your hormones. I’m increasingly seeing women in clinic—often newly diagnosed or presenting with “ADHD-adjacent” patterns—show up with cycle trackers that reveal the same thing: their focus, energy, and medication response decline sharply in the days before their period. This article explains why, unpacking the estrogen–dopamine connection and how hormonal fluctuations can quietly destabilize even well-managed ADHD. Required reading for anyone navigating midlife and executive dysfunction. 📆 (The Cut)

🧫 The Gut Check: What New Research Says About Colon Health

Colon cancer rates are rising in younger adults, and new research points to a surprising player: certain gut bacteria. Scientists have found that a DNA-damaging toxin made by some strains of E. coli may leave a distinct “fingerprint” in tumors—especially in people diagnosed before age 40. 🦠 

The takeaway isn’t panic—it’s that our microbiome matters more than we realized, and early-life exposures (like antibiotics or birth mode) might play a role. A growing body of research is helping connect the dots between gut health and long-term wellness. (NPR)

This Week on The Well Kept Podcast🎙️ 

Burnout, Hormones & the Hidden Impact of Everyday Stress🎙️ 

What if bloating and blah days weren’t just stress—but signals from your nervous system? This week on the pod we dive into the intricate relationship between the nervous system and midlife women’s health:

• 🧠 the vagus nerve and how it mediates hormone havoc

• 📱 hidden stressors like social media (yep, even the “wellness” kind)

• 🧘‍♀️ practical tools for nervous system regulation—without quitting your life

This convo is your permission slip to downshift, reset, and remember: your body is not a machine. It's an ecosystem. And it's talking to you. 🎧
Listen here on Spotify →

The Group Chat Edit 📲 👯‍♂️ 

✈️ To Watch: Travel Hacks from the Points Guy on Girls Gotta Eat

Excited to book your next girls trip? The Points Guy spills real strategy on how to travel smarter, from using tools like Point.me to booking backup flights with miles in case of delays. It’s packed with hacks on when to spend, when to save, and why your credit card might be the most important item in your carry-on.
👉 Skip to minute 27 if you want to get straight into the travel tips.

Watch on YouTube →

🛍️ To Buy: These Organic Date Pops 🍓 

For the midlife woman who’s juggling hormone swings, camp drop-offs, and 47 tabs open in her brain—these Date Pops are the snack equivalent of a tiny fist bump. Made with just a few whole ingredients, I recently tried the peanut butter jelly and immediately hid the rest from my family. Next up: the brownie flavor, which claims to taste like dessert while delivering a stealthy fiber boost. 🤎

💄 To Try: This “Try or Toss” Summer Beauty Edit 💅☀️

Summer beauty drops are coming in hot—and not all of them deserve your money (or your face). I’m into the gentle nail rehab and smart SPF upgrades, but still not sold on the salmon sperm creams. Call me when the data’s stronger than the buzz. 🐡